Female leaders are wired differently, and they shouldn’t hesitate to set themselves apart from their male colleagues, Superintendent Keri Johnson of Alabama’s Pelham City Schools says.

Johnson has been working to create a space where female K12 leaders in her state can elevate each other through coaching, guidance and support, she tells host Amy Dujon on the latest episode of DA’s “A Good Lesson” podcast. Johnson’s efforts fit with the mission of DA’s own Leadhership Network for Women, which holds its annual conference in September in New Orleans.

“We lead differently, we feel differently,” says Johnson, who took the helm of Pelham City Schools last year after having led the Tuscaloosa County School System from 2020 to 2025.